“Every time I hear the sounds of a piano, I always think of my grandmother,” begins Evan Norconk,” who works with Bank OZK in Gastonia, North Carolina. “She had many years of training and her playing flowed seamlessly.” Evan recalls coming home from school as a boy and often hearing her play in the living room.
His grandmother, Joan Markham, and grandfather, John, lived next door to Evan’s family in Vero Beach, Florida. Evan’s mother was not able to have children; so his parents adopted him at age nine and his younger brother from Vietnam. “I remember meeting my grandparents at the airport, and they had stuffed teddy bears in hand. You know it’s those kinds of memories that stay with you forever,” adds Evan. He shares that it’s hard for him to explain what a lively, loving person Joan was. She loved hosting events, and he fondly remembers the times being in the kitchen baking with her. Growing up in Florida, their yards were full of orange and lemon trees. “‘Let’s go out in the yard and pick up some lemons, Evan,’” he reminisces, “I’d come back in the house with a bunch of lemons, and we’d either make lemonade or a lemon pie. It’s just little memories that make me smile when I think of her.”
The Markhams were entrepreneurs in every sense of the word. During their younger years, John was involved in the travel and tourism industry. Upon their marriage, Joan converted from Baptist to Catholicism and became very active within their church. Additionally she owned and managed three different Hallmark store locations for twenty years. Upon retiring from the Hallmark business in the late 1990s, she went on to accompany John on his many travels around the world. Everything in their lives seemed wonderful, until it didn’t.
“Grandmother would be talking and all of sudden she would get stuck on her words,” shares Evan. “She’d pause for a moment and then complete her sentences.” He goes on to say that his grandmother had some other health issues at that time that required medication, and that his parents attributed the ‘stickiness’ to her getting acclimated to it. Soon thereafter, Joan’s once melodically flowing piano tunes were interrupted by the intermittent shrills of her striking the wrong keys. She would stop playing altogether and sit on the piano bench in silence. [Having difficulty completing familiar tasks can be a warning sign of Alzheimer’s. Learn more.]
Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. A middle schooler at the time, Evan shares that he saw firsthand the toll living with the disease caused for not only his grandmother, but also his mother and his grandfather. His mom worked a nine to five job 30 minutes away from where they lived as well as provided them (his brother, father and grandparents) three meals a day. He noted it broke his heart to see each of them struggle in their own respective ways in dealing with the journey.
Before being diagnosed, Evan remembers Joan picking up him and his brother from school. The times he and his grandmother would walk around the track together after soccer practice solving the world’s problems. “Seeing this brilliant, strongly independent woman transform into essentially a newborn who’s unable to take care of themselves was hard on all of us but especially my mom as they were so close. Sometimes she recognized us and sometimes she didn’t.”
Joan passed away in November 2014. Her legacy lives on. however, through not only her family, but also through the John and Joan Markham Tourism Marketing Award merit scholarship. This award was established in honor of John and Joan Markham for the almost 30 years of dedicated service by John Markham as the stalwart financial planner and treasurer for the International Travel and Tourism Research Association, with Joan steadfastly at his side.
Evan’s passion for his grandmother is being channeled toward his involvement in the Alzheimer’s Association and first time participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln on October 14. He, and co-captain Micheala Francis co-captain, are looking to grow their Walk Team, Bankers on the Move, not only in the Gaston area, but also invited in the Cornelius area where Evan has recently moved to. Evan notes that Alzheimer’s awareness is critically important as we collectively work toward the mission of finding a cure. While his mother did research the disease upon his grandmother being diagnosed over ten years ago, they did not know of the services the Alzheimer’s Association offered at the time. “Alzheimer’s disease is not biased, it can target anyone unexpectedly,” asserts Evan. “I want people to understand that it [Alzheimer’s disease] is going to be a tough journey, but we are here to help answer all the hard questions.” For example, Evan’s grandmother experienced sleep and sundowning issues regularly, and he shares that his mom and grandfather were greatly challenged in managing them. He adds that he wishes they knew then what they know now.
While Evan is forever grateful for the many fond memories he has of his grandmother, he also deeply misses her. “I lost my grandmother when I was very young, and I wouldn’t wish on any family what our family experienced. We must work together to find a cure.”
LIKE EVAN, WE ALL HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT FOR A WORLD WITHOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. Join your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s today as an individual, team, or sponsor.
The Alzheimer’s Association hosts 17 walks across North Carolina. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association® mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s.
| Alamance County | 9/30/2023 |
| Asheville | 10/14/2023 |
| Charlotte | 10/21/2023 |
| Fayetteville | 10/28/2023 |
| Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln | 10/14/2023 |
| Guilford County | 10/7/2023 |
| Henderson County | 9/30/2023 |
| Iredell County | 9/23/2023 |
| Jacksonville | 10/14/2023 |
| Moore County | 9/30/2023 |
| Mount Airy | 9/9/2023 |
| New Bern | 10/21/2023 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus | 10/28/2023 |
| Unifour (formerly Hickory) | 10/28/2023 |
| Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | 10/7/2023 |
| Wilmington | 11/4/2023 |
| Winston-Salem | 11/4/2023 |
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 